Shady Roses: Roses for Part Shade

     Right now, roses are available at area nurseries, potted up and in bloom. During the winter, bare root roses will fill the shelves at area nurseries and garden centers. Most of the roses you may be contemplating need more than six hours of direct sunlight a day to bloom well. 

What's a rose-loving gardener to do with a backyard that has more shade than sun?

     According to Sacramento-based Consulting Rosarian Pam Myczek of the American Rose Society, you may be in luck. She has compiled a list of roses that may be successful in a planting area that gets only four to six hours of sun each day. As always, all gardening is local. Although these roses will succeed in the Central Valley, Foothills and warmer parts of the Bay Area of Northern California, your luck may vary.  Look for these shade-tolerant varieties on your shopping trips:
 

• White roses: 

Gourmet Popcorn

Iceberg

Sally Holmes

Madame Hardy

Sea Foam
 

• Apricot-colored roses: 

Valencia








Evelyn
Buff Beauty
 

• Orange-blend roses: 

Just Joey 

Bill Warriner

Touch of Class










Victoria Park
 

• Mauve roses: 

Angel Face











Kaleidoscope 
Lavender Lassie
 

• Red roses:
 


Asso di Cuori

Mr. Lincoln

Playboy
 

• Pink roses: 

Secret

Baby Grand

Miss Ada










Savoy Hotel
Cape Cod 
Flower Girl
 

• Yellow roses: 
 


Elina

Gold Medal

St. Patrick

Sunsprite

 





Graham Thomas
Mutabilis


Valley rosarian Lance Walheim, author of the books, "Roses for Dummies" and "The Natural Rose Gardener" recommends these hybrid tea roses for light shade gardens: 

Brandy (apricot/orange)

Garden Party (creamy white with a hint of pink)

Voodoo (peach/yellow)

 






Swarthmore (red)


In our own garden, three hybrid tea roses - 

Pink Peace

Fragrant Cloud

Oklahoma









- are doing well on the north side of the house, where they get primarily early morning and late afternoon sun.

For more of Myczek's "shady roses" selections, visit the Sacramento Rose Society website. Thanks to Baldo Villegas and the SRS for use of many of these photos.

And, here's the video on how to plant a rose during the summer or fall: